Legality issues!!

[Misschiff]

Wow, I've read all the posts and thought I'd add this to the collection of comments

Based on KAPA's website http://www.karaokeantipiracyagency.com/faq.shtml, here is the following except:

FAQ #10
Q: "I purchased a CDG and wish to send a copy of it to my friend overseas. Their hardware will not play the CDG format with USA specifications. May I make a video copy of the disc for my friend?"
A: "Yes, BUT the original CDG must accompany the video copy at a one to one ratio, and no further copies may be made."

It sounds to me like you CAN make a copy into a DIFFERENT format, as long as you have the original
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Here is another FAQ,


FAQ #03
Q: "May I use an archived copy of a CDG that I broke in my show?"
A: "No. No such archived copy should have been made in the first place. CDGs fall under the copyright definition of phonorecords NOT computer software. Under the definition, no duplications are permitted under any circumstances without express written permission of the copyright holder(s) which is the CDG manufacturer. (Misleading information had been posted on various sites earlier, but it has since been retracted.)"

For experienced DJs, you will also note that the AVLA licence (audio/video licensing association, Canada) does not include Karaoke material, only regular audio CDs (http://www.avla.ca )
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Here is another website that I came across and has some interesting points to make as well
http://www.karaokeanonymous.com/legal.html
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One last point I'd like to make is that the law is the law, no matter how you wish to interpret it to suite your ethical beliefs. If you have a serious Karaoke business, do you really want to jeopardize losing you equipment and battling through court? (not to mention the embarrasment at your gig of being caught with unauthorized disc copies). Your show would be shut down and you might even lose the gig!

Personally I agree with most of what was said in the previous posts regarding copyright and justifying using Hoster. I also believe that one must interpret "fair" and "reasonable" as it was intended. I am a singer/songwriter and musician, and I would certainly want credit and compensation for someone using my original material. It's kind of like cheating the government on your tax return -- you might get away with something you think is perfectly reasonable, but if you are caught, it will be THEIR interpretation of what's reasonable that determines whether it is legal or not!

On the bright side, it certainly appears that KAPA FAQ#10 indicates that reproducing the karaoke material in another/different audio format (such as what Hoster software does) is perfectly legal, so long as you keep the original disc.

Well, at least this is a step in the right direction for us all and makes using Hoster perfectly alright!

Regards,
Misschiff

P.S.
Thanks to S.P.I.N. LLC for his additional comments